Mobile core networks are increasingly being opened up to migrate to a more Internet Protocol (IP)-based network. There are increasingly more online services (e.g., data services) becoming available as well as more integrated. For advanced data services associated with communication devices (e.g., mobile communication devices, such as cellular phones), particularly in a mobile core network, Internet Protocol (IP) packet inspection is a required mechanism. Typically, these packet inspections are limited to shallow packet inspections, where, for example, the source IP, destination IP, source port, destination port, and IP/Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/User Datagram Protocol (UDP) headers are inspected. As services and applications becomes more integrated and customized, the knowledge of the IP layer is desirable, such as more policy-based deep packet inspection (DPI), where inspections go beyond the IP header, is desirable. Currently, there is no privacy protection mechanism in network data flow detection that will give user options for privacy protection.